From an early age, my artistic abilities were very apparent, so naturally I decided to pursue art as a career. However, a couple years after graduating with a BFA in illustration from the School of Visual Arts in 2004, I was hired for a project through an art conservation company in Manhattan, and have continued on the path of restoration ever since. While working there, I specialized in color-matching and patina touch-up techniques on bronzes, but also became familiar with a variety of sculptural mediums, and have had the privilege of restoring a diverse range of artwork. Some notable projects include: the cleaning and in-painting of a mural from JFK airport, paint touch-up of fire-damaged statuary and gold-leafing at St. John the Divine, and marble stone carving on a landmarked building façade on the upper west side.

          The artistry involved in seamless repair and re-creation of damaged sections of sculpture, or the return of a painting to its former glory through delicate cleaning and in-painting, are things I find both challenging and highly rewarding. However, my skills are not just limited to art-work and decorative object repair. General jobs in wood refinishing, marble repair, plaster repair, rust removal and metal polishing, on or offsite are all welcome. No matter what the project is, I always make sure to approach it with the same consistent attention to detail while employing the most suitable method of repair within a given budget, all while maintaining the integrity of the material and the object's aesthetic quality.

          Whether you are someone who has an object of sentimental value in need of restoration, a museum with a collection in need of cleaning, or a contractor who needs a specialized repair done on site, please feel free to contact me with any questions, and provide high-resolution photos along with a detailed description of what you would like to have done. If it's something beyond my scope of expertise, or in any way not feasible for me to fix, I will not waste your time!

Sincerely,

Renata Pugh

SKILLSET & SERVICES OFFERED:

-Bronze patina touch-up (with pigment or chemical patina)

-Bronze waxing and buffing

-Frame repair

-Paintings on canvas: cleaning, repair, and in-painting areas of loss

-Epoxy color-matched fills on ceramic, stone, metal, and wood

-Plaster repair 

-Re-creation of loss in sculptures

-Stone smoothing and detailing

-Metal and stone chasing

-Iron oxidation removal and treatment

-Polishing

-Gold Leafing

-Photoshop photo restoration